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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

Did anyone else's parents do this with presents at Christmas?

73 replies

TowerOfJoyless · 18/11/2015 20:38

Every Christmas morning as a child my sister and I would wake up, go into the living room and find toys sitting out on the couch from santa and looking back, it really was quite magical and exciting.

Now call me thick, but it never dawned on me for a long time that we never received any gifts from relatives, including our own parents.

Years ago, I had a conversation with an aunt where I mentioned one of these gifts sitting on the couch to which she replied, "oh that was me who bought you that!". It then occurred to me that mum and dad had been collecting presents from everyone and passing them all off as coming from santa.

Is this quite unusual? Have to admit I have never heard of anyone else doing this before. With my own Ds I tend to have a few presents from santa and the rest from DH and I, plus he is also aware what comes from friends and family.

OP posts:

EduCated · 18/11/2015 21:30

'Big' present from parents, sack/stocking from Santa and everything else from whoever gave it.

peggyundercrackers · 18/11/2015 21:31

When I was little all presents came from Santa too, I did the same with nieces and nephews - all the presents I buy I write from Santa on them until they realise Santa doesn't exist. Now I have children my mum and dad give everything as if it's from Santa and so do we but DHs parents give as if it's from them.

megletthesecond · 18/11/2015 21:33

We do little stocking presents from santa (not wrapped) and presents with tags from the giver under the tree.

SouthWestmom · 18/11/2015 21:36

I've never understood Santa being the delivery guy - it just seems like a weird thing to do. Like adding a middle man.
Santa brings stuff off the list and fun stuff for a morning stocking.
Parents and family and friends put presents under the tree and they are opened after lunch.

Sgtmajormummy · 18/11/2015 21:43

My DM, who lives for Christmas, has a strange tradition all of her own. As well as a stocking from Santa and gifts from relatives there was always one small present from a "random" name, usually lifted from a comic or magazine.

So one year DB got socks from Bob Marley and I got a huge Dairy Milk from Roald Dahl.
Well, I think it's sweet....

Catzpyjamas · 18/11/2015 21:44

Our parents didn't give us gifts - it was all from Santa and I never questioned that but everything else was from the relative or friend. Now with DD she gets a stocking and some gifts she asked for from Santa. We give her a few things and everything else is from the people who gave them. She remembers who gave what and always thanks the givers.

However, DSIL gives her DCs EVERYTHING from Santa. I never knew this for years as we used to just send gifts when they lived further away. Then they moved nearer and last year we were there for present swapping. I was really annoyed when my carefully chosen gifts were announced as from Santa. DD(6) was thoroughly as she had helped choose them.

MamaDoGood · 18/11/2015 21:48

My parents did the same as yours OP.
I never questioned it, neither did my sister.
I have decided not to do it like that with my kids as I like them to write thank you cards to relatives and friends x

AcrossthePond55 · 18/11/2015 21:49

Gifts from extended family were opened at the family party which was held just before Xmas. Xmas morning was Santa gifts and gifts from parents & siblings.

I think relabeling family gifts to make it seem like they're from Santa is cheap and tacky. If the family wants to pretend that Santa picked up family gifts and delivered them that's fine, especially if the children aren't seeing those family members over the holidays.

teenmumandsowhat · 18/11/2015 21:55

In my family we have only a stocking from Santa, all other presents are clearly labelled who from. And as we open them my dm writes down who got what, and from whom. (So we can write thank you letters)
When I had my dc's my parents also invented the Christmas fairy. She comes on Boxing Day, and brings the presents Santa forgot...

nancy75 · 18/11/2015 21:55

Every thing from Santa in our house, my parents buy dd loads, they say one thing is from them and everything else and all the stuff from us is from Santa. When dd was about 5 she asked why we didn't get her anything for Xmas ( bloody cheek!) so now she gets a book or a DVD from us on Christmas Eve

janaus · 19/11/2015 02:40

Thats a new one to me, all the gifts from Santa.
A friend we used to know, the work Social Club had a xmas party and gifts were given to children of the person who worked there. I know they must have made some contribution to the Social Club. But this friend, had nominated nieces and nephews, and gave those present to said nieces nephews, as gifts coming from him. I thought this was a bit mean.

SteveBrucesNose · 19/11/2015 02:50

At my sisters house everything is from Santa. We have a big family and are probably over the top generous with gift giving, especially to the boys. My BILs side, well, the boys would be lucky if the got an orange to share money is no issue, they just don't do gifts like we do.

They decided that at least while they're young enough to believe in the magic, that everyone if from Father Christmas. Saves any potential dislike of the in laws for getting them no, or at best crappy, presents.

Sansoora · 19/11/2015 03:07

Our presents were all laid out on the couch and arm chairs with no wrapping paper in sight apart from the presents that aunties etc had arranged for Santo to deliver. We also had a pillow case each that was our stocking.

It was magical. Absolutely magical.

eandh · 19/11/2015 06:05

The big main present is always from me and dh and then the stocking type presents are from Father Christmas. They get these Christmas morning. All presents from friends and family are opened later in the day(my family presents are on Christmas Day as they'll be st mum mums when we go there and dh family will be Boxing Day when we see them) they have a few presents from friends:godparents and we tend to take those to my mums and dads (complicated but my niece and nephew alternate Christmas and this year they'll be at my mums from lunchtime when their mum drops them off to my brother so Santa is delivering their stockings to my mums house therefore when the have stockings mine will have the friends presents)

AndrastesKnickerweasels · 19/11/2015 06:23

Stocking and one thing from the list from Father Christmas, everything else is from whoever it's from.
DD (4) has decided that when we wrap presents and put them in "The Christmas Box," the elves take them to the North Pole for delivery.

Actually, the box/milk crate just gets emptied into the top of my wardrobe to avoid poking, but I'm running with it.

It was the same growing up, but without the box- anything we wrapped was given straight to mum who squirreled it away somewhere.

Yankeetarts19 · 19/11/2015 06:25

My parents did this,but we didn't get any from other people so it was ok

icclemunchy · 19/11/2015 06:28

Santa gives a stocking and a small gift when he delivers everyone else's presents here. Some family don't send stuff to Santa to be delivered and just give gift straight to us and they go under the tree.

Seems to work well as she gets the magic but knows who gives what and can say thank you

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 19/11/2015 06:38

Our family just had stockings from FC (the right way!). DH had everything from Santa. Managed to convince him to have it my way. Then again as I order virtually all the presents and wrap them all, I think that part of him still does believe in Santa and the wrapping fairy!

BoxofSnails · 19/11/2015 06:39

nancy I don't think that's cheeky of your dd at all but quite brave. We tell our children that we are buying presents for Granny and Aunty Jean because we care about them and then your child has to wonder about why you don't care enough about her...!
So no, and the couple of people I've met who do this for their DC are pretty spoilt - maybe coincidence. That said, I never had a believer and there was no less magic.

mummytime · 19/11/2015 06:44

We do Santa for stocking, presents under the tree from other people. We'd often separate opening, so stockings first thing and other presents sometimes as late as "after church".

But when little mine were often bursting with wanting to thank someone for their stocking presents.

Sansoora · 19/11/2015 06:49

When dd was about 5 she asked why we didn't get her anything for Xmas ( bloody cheek!) so now she gets a book or a DVD from us on Christmas Eve

Why couldn't you just say the presents were from you and Santa, that he 'just knows' what to buy.

Anaffaquine12 · 19/11/2015 06:51

Dh's do this. I really don't like it. I take care to pick gifts that my niece and nephews will love. They never knew they were from us.
I won't let them do this with our dds. I want them to be able to thank people for the gifts given.
I also don't think it is fair if they think they got loads from Santa but Jimmy across the Street who comes from a poorer family doesn't get nearly as much. Was he not as good?
Small present and stocking from Santa. Everything else from family/friends.

BalloonSlayer · 19/11/2015 06:55

Stocking is "from Father Christmas," proper presents are from whoever bought them.

Let me tell you - there is no way some bloody mythical character is getting the credit for the whole sodding lot when I have sweated my way round the shops, bankrupted myself paying for it, agonised about where to hide it all then stressed myself to buggery wrapping it all up.

InQuiteAPickle · 19/11/2015 06:59

In my house we send Santa money so that he has a "budget" (so that the kids know that no, they can't have EVERYTHING in Argos) and they send him a list and it is Santa's discretion what they get from that list. He decides what they deserve - they might get everything on the list, they might only get one thing off it, they might get nothing . The presents are from me and DH but Santa gets/makes them, wraps them and delivers them. He's a bit of a glorified courier, tbh .

He brings everything from us including the stocking presents and big presents.

Presents from or for family go under the tree until the 25th. I told DD1 that we buy extra gifts for family and friends that Santa doesn't bring because we love them and it's nice to give things and they do the same for us, hence them being under the tree.

My mum and dad used to buy presents and send them to Santa to bring. So did my Granparents etc so I always knew who they were from.

MummyPig24 · 19/11/2015 07:14

FC leaves a sack of presents. Main present from us. Presents under the tree from friends/family.

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